Sorry! We Caught The Wrong Bus

I was catching a bus home this afternoon, as per normal, after my walk down Pakington St. However, mistakenly I caught the wrong bus !! I looked up, and I did not see the sign. In the long process of hopping on a couple of different buses, I eventually found my way home. During my time of the extra bus trips, I came up with the words of this poem.

Sorry! We Caught The Wrong Bus

Is this the air I breathe?

A misty haze out in front of me

Is this the sky I see?

A big smoggy Vee

High in the mountain plains, flowerless, without bees

Miles of burnt-out wasteland and no trees

Beyond the eroded soils, there’s the earth’s oceans

Mercury settled deep, with a topping of dead fish by the millions

Is this black bitumen I walk on?

Long oily tar rolled out by the ton

Is this real water I drink?

Manufactured I sip. On my knees I do sink!

Mother nature. “Please forgive us!”

We did not know. “Sorry! We caught the wrong bus.”



Today’s poem is in response to Weekly Prompts, and their Wednesday Challenge, which is: Bus Riding! Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking > Here.

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

Time’s Awry

It’s Halloween and the Weekend Challenge from Weekly Prompts is; All Hallows Eve. Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here . My poem here is one I wrote in July 2018, but I think it’s suitably scary enough for the Halloween weekend, and Amanda Palmer’s song is definitely a bit bloodthirsty, “A Warning to those who are a bit squeamish”.. The Featured Image Above, is a photo of the wall behind my office computer chair, and it will be the backdrop during my interview and readings, as part of the “Nightmare Whispers” anthologies launch promotions tomorrow morning… tune into the Nightmare Whispers “Party Room” at 11.00am to catch my time slot, via this link… > https://www.facebook.com/groups/676275079816445

Time’s Awry

Last night I awoke in a pool of blood

Surviving Noah’s great flood

There was no bleeding horse head

It wasn’t a dream, I wasn’t dead

The nightlight died instead

A dark shadow engulfed my bed

Sheets of oozy dripping threads

A deep flowing red

From where, I dread

Petrified, motionless I’m spread

The hole in my heart is dry

Fearful tears of crystal white I cry

My bloodshot eyes are weeping, time’s awry

Puddles of gore descend from the Boar’s sty

Visions of devils and angels pass my eyes

I’m not ready to say my goodbyes

Am I suddenly being nailed to the cross to die?

Or is it, that cupids’ arrow in my thigh

Ivor Steven (c) October 2020

Is There Love Behind Steamed-up Glasses Of Dread

This week’s Wednesday Challenge on Weekly Prompts is; STEAMED LENSES. Please go over and check out their fabulous site by clicking  >> Here .  The below poem is my response to the prompt…

 

Is There Love Behind Steamed-up Glasses Of Dread

 

Life is indeed a tangle web

Behind steamed-up glasses of dread

But finding an end to the masks loose threads

Eventually unbinds previous words misread

 

We are bruised and torn

We are the drowned unicorns

Hatred is trampling our weary souls

Love and healing should be our goals

 

Love is every season, and the ones in between

Love is every moonbeam, and the ones in between

Love is every sunrise, and the ones in between

Love is an afternoon sea-breeze, and the cool evenings in between

I know these visions to be a true call

Because I’ve looked into the wizard’s crystal-ball

 

Ivor Steven (c)  October 2020

Ribbons and Buttons

Over on Weekly Prompts, the Wednesday Challenge is Button Jars. Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here. And the poem below is my response to the prompt.

Ribbons and Buttons



Reclining in my verandah chair

I notice my blue shirt needs repair

And I search for her sewing box of needles and cotton

Looking for a few shiny buttons

There between memories of pink and white ribbons

In a basket full of trinkets, not to be forgotten



Here inside my private cube

I’m a cool Mr Fix-it dude

Or so I was secretly told

By a girl who came in from the cold

Her greeting did warm my soul



Me, a lonesome old stray

Smiled, and come what may

I proudly donned the blue shirt for today

Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2020

Below the Surface

This Saturday the Weekend Challenge from ‘Weekly Prompts’ is The Face. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> https://weeklyprompts.com/2020/09/19/weekend-challenge-the-face/ .. And the below is my response to this weeks prompt.

Below the Surface

I’ve had thorns under my feet

And a rose between my teeth



I’m on a voyage to somewhere, and beyond

And the false façade goes on and on

Left follows right, one of us cannot be wrong

The Small Faces are singing the same old song

And the winter snake-skins have all gone

Lets face it, will I ever truly belong?



The mysterious journey never ends

Until that inevitable finale bend

George said it’s “A long and winding road”

And I’ll face life’s hard curves, unbowed




Above Artwork:  By Kerri Costello, Graphic Design Artist, my beautiful niece/second cousin, who lives in Philadelphia, she’s so very talented, and a very special person in my life, thank you Kerri.

Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2020.

Whispering Flowers

Over on Weekly Prompts the Weekend Challenge is Flower Power! Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here . Today I’m presenting a poem of mine from a year ago, in response to the prompt…

A heartfelt thank you to ‘Fae Corps Publishing’ and ‘Pattimouse’, for publishing this special poem of mine today, a piece I wrote about “our” anniversary day… I truly appreciate your generosity and support,….. I’m feeling very special…..

Fae Corps Inc

Ivor Steven is many things. Poet, plumber, blogger… The list continues. Find him and his work at https://ivors20.wordpress.com/

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Ivor Steven (c) August 2020

Yellow Light

“How wonderful the colour yellow is. It stands for the sun!” – Vincent Van Gogh.

This weekend is the Monthly Colour Challenge for August, and the ‘Weekly Prompt’ team have chosen;  Sunshine Yellow.  Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking > Here Below; is my response to the prompt, with attached photos and a Haiku

 

Yellow Light,  a Haiku

 

Today the sky smiled

Above golden setting sun

And the moon did shine

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  August 2020

My Scenic Saturday

The Weekend Challenge on Weekly Prompts is, Scenic. Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here … Below is my photographic article in response to the prompt…

My Scenic Saturday

 

After writing my daily poem in the morning, I then pottered around in my courtyard garden, however my fingers were becoming frozen from the frosty dawn, and I decided to delay the potting, until after going out for my usual Saturday coffee and cafe visit, to the scenically rural Box Office Cafe. The above photos are from my lunchtime visit today. The winter sun was starting to warm me up, and on viewing my photos, you’ll understand, (maybe), why I frequent this quaint and rustic establishment….

It was definitely a lot warmer when I arrived home. Last week a friend of mine made me two wall hanging racks out old wooden pallets. I hung them up during the week, and today was my day to fill the two pallets with plants… The below photos, were taken after I finished the potting and planting…. and I’m very pleased with the gorgeous ”scenic” outlook of my small but vibrant courtyard…

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  June 2020

Our World, Air For Us All

I posted this poem yesterday evening, I’m republishing today, without the ‘Links/Pingbacks’…  and I’m adding another old ‘Bee Gees’ song “Words”, which seems to be appropriate for my poem here, which basically, is only ‘words’ from my pondering thoughts.

 

 

Our World, Air For Us All

 

What grows up

Eternally falls to ground

What’s absorbed in

Eventually seeps out

 

Did you hear the sound?

The world is round

 

But is the universe a square?

As we struggle to breathe in our share

Did you hear there’s enough air for us all?

So why cry before we’ve learnt how to crawl?

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  June 2020

A Collection, Nearly Time To Go Home

On “Weekly Prompts” their weekend challenge is: Story. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >>HERE…. And below I’m continuing my “Story” about my trip to Philadelphia in May last year, via a collection of my poems and haiku’s …

 

Wet Flowers of May

 

Philadelphia rain

Like a rattling freight train

Wet fat drops

That didn’t stop

Watering flowers on mother’s day

Sharing the liquid joy of May

 

Haiku: Family History

Boxes of photos

Memory lane in my hands

Decades of stories

 

The Golden Pot

I’ve travelled to the end

Of yesterday’s rainbow

I found the golden pot was full

Full of warm hearts

The pot of hearts was overflowing

With ladles full of kindness

And their kindness was a cascading

River of magical rainbows

 

Haiku: We Lost The Sea

Bridges of dreams crossed

The ocean and river spanned

Waters of love found

Ivor Steven (c) May 2019